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Healthwatch

Ever Worry About Your Gambling?

Are online gambling and sports betting new to your area? Are gambling advertisements catching your eye? Have you noticed sports and news shows covering the spread? Recent changes in laws have made gambling widely accessible, and its popularity has soared.

Occasional bets are rarely an issue. But uncontrolled gambling can lead to financial, psychological, physical, and social consequences, some of which are extreme. Understanding whether gambling is becoming a problem in your life can help you head off the worst of these issues and refocus on having more meaning, happiness, and psychological richness in your life. Gambling screening is a good first step.

Can you screen yourself for problem gambling?

Yes. Screening yourself is easy. The Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (note: automatic download) is a validated way to screen for gambling disorder. It has three yes-or-no questions. Ask yourself:

During the past 12 months, have you become restless, irritable, or anxious when trying to stop/cut down on gambling?

During the past 12 months, have you tried to keep your family or friends from knowing how much you gambled?

During the past 12 months, did you have such financial trouble as a result of your gambling that you had to get help with living expenses from family, friends, or welfare?

What do your answers mean?

Answering yes to any one of these questions suggests that you are at higher risk for experiencing gambling disorder. Put simply, this is an addiction to gambling. Like other expressions of addiction, for gambling this includes loss of control, craving, and continuing despite bad consequences. Unique to gambling, it also often means chasing your losses.

A yes doesn't mean that you are definitely experiencing a problem with gambling. But it might be valuable for you to seek a more in-depth assessment of your gambling behavior. To find an organization or person qualified to help, ask a health care provider, your local department of public health, or an advocacy group like the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Are you ready for change?

Your readiness to change a behavior matters when deciding the best first steps for making a change. If someone asks you whether you want to change your gambling, what would you say?

I never think about my gambling.

Sometimes I think about gambling less.

I have decided to gamble less.

I am already trying to cut back on my gambling.

I changed my gambling: I now do not gamble, or gamble less than before.

Depending on your answer, you might seek out different solutions. What's most important initially is choosing a solution that feels like the right fit for you.

What if you don't feel ready to change? If you haven't thought about your gambling or only occasionally think about changing your gambling, you might explore lower intensity actions. For example, you could

read more about how gambling could create a problem for you

listen to stories of those who have lived experience with gambling disorder.

If you are committed to making a change or are already trying to change, you might seek out more engaging resources and strategies to support those decisions, like attending self-help groups or participating in treatment.

Read on for more details on choices you might make.

What options for change are available if you want to continue gambling?

If you want to keep gambling in some way, you might want to stick to lower-risk gambling guidelines:

gamble no more than 1% of household income

gamble no more than four days per month

avoid regularly gambling at more than two types of games, such as playing the lottery and betting on sports.

Other ways to reduce your risk of gambling harm include:

Plan ahead and set your own personal limits.

Keep your entertainment budget in mind if you decide to gamble.

Consider leaving credit cards and debit cards at home and use cash instead.

Schedule other activities directly after your gambling to create a time limit.

Limit your use of alcohol and other drugs if you decide to gamble.

What are easy first steps toward reducing or stopping gambling?

If you're just starting to think about change, consider learning more about gambling, problem gambling, and ways to change from

blogs, like The BASIS

books like Change Your Gambling, Change Your Life

podcasts like After Gambling, All-In, and Fall In, which offer expert interviews, personal recovery stories, and more.

Some YouTube clips demystify gambling, such as how slot machines work, the limits of skill and knowledge in gambling, and how gambling can become an addiction. These sources might help you think about your own gambling in new ways, potentially identifying behaviors that you need to change.

What are some slightly more active steps toward change?

If you're looking for a slightly more active approach, you can consider engaging in traditional self-help experiences such as helplines and chatlines or Gamblers Anonymous.

Another option is self-help workbooks. Your First Step to Change is a popular workbook that provides information about problem gambling, self-screening exercises for gambling and related conditions like anxiety and depression, and change exercises to get started. A clinical trial of this resource suggested that users were more likely than others to report having recently abstained from gambling.

Watch out for gambling misinformation

As you investigate options, keep in mind that the quality of information available can vary and may even include misinformation. Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. Research suggests that some common types of gambling misinformation might reinforce harmful beliefs or risky behaviors.

For example, some gambling books, websites, and other resources exaggerate your likelihood of winning, highlight win and loss streaks as important (especially for chance-based games like slots), and suggest ways to change your luck to gain an edge. These misleading ideas can help you to believe you're more likely to win than you actually are, and set you up for failure.

The bottom line

Taking a simple self-screening test can start you on a journey toward better gambling-related health. Keep in mind that change can take time and won't necessarily be a straight path.

If you take a step toward change and then a step back, nothing is stopping you from taking a step forward again. Talking with a care provider and getting a comprehensive assessment can help you understand whether formal treatment for gambling is a promising option for you.

Source: Harvard Health Publishing

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Healthwatch

Midlife ADHD? Coping Strategies That Can Help

Trouble staying focused and paying attention are two familiar symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common health issue among children and teens.

When ADHD persists through early adulthood and on into middle age, it presents many of the same challenges it does in childhood: it's hard to stay organized, start projects, stay on task, and meet deadlines. But now life is busier, and often expectations from work and family are even higher. Fortunately, there are lots of strategies that can help you navigate this time in your life.

Staying organized

Organizational tools are a must for people with adult ADHD. They'll help you prioritize and track activities for each day or the coming weeks.

Pick the right tools. Tools can include a pen and paper to make lists, or computer or smartphone apps to set appointment reminders, highlight important days on the calendar, mark deadlines, and keep lists and other information handy.

Schedule updates. Set aside time each day to update your lists and schedules. Don't let the task become a chore in itself; think of it like a routine task such as brushing your teeth, and do it daily so it becomes an established habit.

Set a timer. And a word of caution: smartphones and computers can also turn into a distraction. If you have adult ADHD, you may find yourself spending hours looking at less useful apps or sites. If that's a frequent trap for you, set a timer for each use or keep the phone off or in another room when you are trying to work.

Staying focused

Just being organized doesn't mean your work will get done. But a few simple approaches can at least make it easier to do the work.

Declutter your home and office. Give yourself an appealing work environment and keep important items easily accessible.

Reduce distractions. This could mean changing your workstation so it doesn't face a window, moving to a quieter space, or just silencing your smartphone and email alerts.

Jot down ideas as they come to you. You may have an "aha" moment for one task while you're in the middle of another. That's okay; just write down that thought and get back to it later, after your more pressing work is finished.

Meeting deadlines

Deadlines pose two big challenges when you have adult ADHD. First, it's hard to start a project, often because you want it to be perfect, or you're intimidated by it so you put it off. Second, when you do start a project, it's very easy to become distracted and leave the task unfinished.

How can you avoid these traps?

Put off procrastinating. Put procrastination on your to-do list — like a chore — and fool yourself into actually starting your work.

Deal with emails, phone calls, or other matters as soon as you can. That way there will be fewer things hanging over your head and overwhelming you later on.

Be a clock watcher. Get a watch and get in the habit of using it. The more aware you are of time, the more likely you'll be able to avoid spending too long on a task.

Take one thing at a time. Multitasking is overrated for everyone — and it's a nightmare for people with adult ADHD. Focus on completing one task, then move on to the next.

Be realistic about your time. This can mean having to say no to new projects or other commitments.

Get more help

The ideas listed here can help you start coping with adult ADHD, but they may not be enough to help you overcome adult ADHD's challenges.

Consider hiring an ADHD coach who can provide more strategies and give you additional tools to cope with your condition. Look for an ADHD coach who is a licensed mental health professional who specializes in treating ADHD, and may also have a certification in ADHD coaching from the ADHD Coaches Organization.

Source: Harvard Health Publishing

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Healthwatch

Can You Strong-arm Diabetes?

There is a strong link between diabetes and fitness. Many studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes lose more muscle mass and strength over time than people with normal blood sugars. This is thought to be a major reason why diabetes is associated with functional limitation, impaired mobility, and loss of independence. Studies have also shown that combining aerobic and resistance training can not only improve blood sugars in people who have diabetes, but can also prevent diabetes from developing.

For these reasons, scientists are very interested in the relationship between diabetes and fitness, teasing out the differences between muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness.

In a 2019 study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers looked at 4,681 adults, measured their muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness, and followed them over about eight years. Both upper and lower body muscle strength were measured using bench and leg presses at increasing loads, and participants were scored as having low, medium, or high strength based on the maximum weight lifted per kilogram of body weight.

They found that those with medium strength had a 32% reduced risk of developing diabetes than those with low strength. This is all fine and good and consistent with prior research. However, they did not see that those with high strength had any further reduction of diabetes risk. As a matter of fact, there was no association at all.

How could this be?

The authors focus largely on the also very important cardiorespiratory fitness factor. They point out that those participants with medium strength also tended to have good cardiorespiratory fitness, with good correlation between the two. However, in the low and high strength groups, it was a bit of a mix, with some people in the low strength group having high cardiorespiratory fitness, and vice versa. They point out that there may be added benefit to having both good muscle strength and good cardiorespiratory fitness, not just good muscle strength alone.

But another consideration is how things like strength and cardiorespiratory fitness are measured. It's important to note that just about every study looking at muscle strength uses a different method than this study. Hand grip strength is very common, for example. One large 2018 study of 8,208 Korean adults found that stronger hand grip strength was significantly associated with lower fasting blood sugars, HbA1c levels, and fasting insulin levels (all markers of prediabetes and diabetes). It's possible that hand grip is somehow a superior method of measuring strength than bench and leg press, or vice versa.

Maybe cardiorespiratory fitness is the more important factor after all?

This has been found to be particularly important in diabetes prevention. One large 2018 study out of Japan looked specifically at cardiorespiratory fitness (as measured by oxygen uptake while exercising on a cycle ergometer) in 7,804 men, and followed them over about 20 years, checking several times to see if anyone developed diabetes. They found that higher cardiorespiratory fitness was significantly associated with lower risk of developing diabetes at all follow-up periods. This is a pretty powerful association, though it would be good to do this study in women and in other ethnic groups.

Let's look at the big picture

Being in good overall shape, meaning having both decent muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness, is just good for you. Both can very likely lower your risk of developing diabetes, and even if you have diabetes, being fit can improve your blood sugars.

Follow me on Twitter @drmoniquetello

Resources

Association of Muscular Strength and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, March 11, 2019.

Accelerated Loss of Skeletal Muscle Strength in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, June 2007.

Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Show a Greater Decline in Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength, and Functional Capacity With Aging. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, August 2013.

Muscle dysfunction in type 2 diabetes: a major threat to patient's mobility and independence. Acta Diabetologica, December 2016.

Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Training on Hemoglobin A1c Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA, November 24, 2010.

Association between muscle strength and type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults in Korea. Medicine, June 2018.

Long-term Impact of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Type 2 Diabetes Incidence: A Cohort Study of Japanese Men. Journal of Epidemiology, May 5, 2018.

Source: Harvard Health Publishing

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Instablog9ja

Content Creator Shares Why People Need To Check Their Spouse’s Phones

Content creator has shared why people need to check their spouse’s phones.

She said another reason why you needed to check your spouse’s phone to protect yourself from s£xually transmitted disease. These will afford you the opportunity to protect yourself against it and also live for people who care for you. It may however end up in a tearful experience, but it better than being infected with an untreatable ailment.

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Instablog9ja

It’s Not Just About Having Hit Songs; You Can Have A Million Hit Songs And Still Be Clueless On Stage At A 200-capacity Venue — Singer Ruger Shades You-know-who

Singer Ruger has shaded you-know-who.

He said it’s not just about having hit songs, you can have a million hit songs and still be clueless on stage at a 200-capacity venue. This why he get much booking because he put his own being into it.

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Instablog9ja

Senator Shuaibu Isa Lau’s Wife Reportedly Asks Police To Detain Skit Maker After He Criticised Her Husband Over Road Conditions

Police in Taraba State, reportedly following orders from Hajia Fatima Lau, the wife of Senator Shuaibu Isa Lau of Taraba North, arrested and detained skit maker Nafiu Hassan for several days, according to SaharaReporters.

Lau is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Deputy Senate Minority Leader.

Hassan had done a skit where he decried the deplorable condition of roads in the senatorial district. He said that many of the roads are now killing zones due to their bad state.

However, a source who spoke with the news outlet said: “Nafiu Hassan made a video about a month ago about bad roads and dilapidated health facilities in Taraba North. However, this video led to his arrest last Wednesday and he was detained till Sunday.

He was arrested by the police on the orders of the Senator’s wife. Nafiu was passing through the Senator’s street while the wife, Hajia Lau, was about to enter her residence in Old Commissioner Quarters in Jalingo.

So, she saw him and created a scene knowing he was the one that made a video about bad roads and dilapidated healthcare facilities in her husband’s village. She termed that as defamation of character and then ordered policemen attached to her to immediately arrest him. [SWIPE]

#Instablog9jaNews #TrendingStory #Awareness #StayUpdated

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